'Toddler tutoring' programs prep tots for school
Kids as young as two years old are being tutored in numeracy and literacy in 'school readiness' programs popular among parents hoping to give their tots an advantage ahead of school.
'Begin Bright' has just opened in Melbourne and already has centres in Queensland and NSW, and will include an early childhood expert who believes play based learning is more crucial than structured tutoring at this age.
Since opening the Balwyn North tutoring centre nine weeks ago, former primary school teacher Kathy Campbell has been fielding calls from education conscious parents of children as young as two years old.
“I think parents want to prepare their children as much as possible for going to school,” she said.
“Parents also work a lot more, so sometimes they like to put children in programs they may not have time to do it.”
Three-year-old William Naish began classes just weeks ago, and his mother Katrina is a convert to the program.
“I always struggled with English and I just wanted to make sure he didn't struggle, and he had the confidence going to school,” she said.
“He’s starting to put letters together with words and sounds, [it’s] really encouraging for us.”
Classes are more structured than kindergarten and pre-school, children are taught everything from basic numeracy and literacy, to learning how to write.
However, at a cost of $29 per class, childhood experts are skeptical, saying there is little benefit from replicating a school environment.
“Children benefit not from a program like this, but from a play based program,” Professor Joseph Sparling from the University of Melbourne said.
“And the children who benefit from it are those from parents with low education, low income and groups like low birthweight babies.”
“We are trying to alleviate the pressure of the students so they don't feel that they can't do things, and it gets them confident and enjoy learning,” Kathy said.
